[Ansteorra] Cider yeast

[Pug Bainter]

> English style ale yeasts work well for ciders, and I've had a few
> recommended by the homebrew shops that worked well.  Wyeast has one
> called "London III", which I have used a lot.  I think it is now only
> available in a "smack pack", which I'm not overly fond of.   I
> recently switched to a dry yeast I like a lot better for ciders by
> Danstar called "Nottingham".  I think the cider tastes better and
> less yeasty.  Lots of fruity overtones, and a pretty quick fermenter.

I've as well tried the London yeast and had good luck with it. There is also a
'British Ale' yeast that produces good results. As Lucia says, pretty much any
of the English style yeasts work well. If you like apple wine more than cider
(which the only difference is flavor) then you can try the wine or champagne
yeasts. These will produce a drier result and have more of the 'wine'
overtones. Exactly how it turns out will vary greatly by the type of yeast
which if you are interested there are charts from the manufacturers that will
tell you what characteristics they will give you.

As for the 'smack packs' I've had mixed results with them but finding the new
generation much more stable and accurate. Following the instructions on the
new packaging is a must as opposed to the instructions on the old packaging.

The old packaging told basically to take it out of the fridge and break the
internal container by smacking it and then waiting 3 hours before pitching.
This resulted in about 10% of my batches not taking off.

The new packaging tells you to take it out of the fridge for 1-3 hours to get
it to room temp, smack it, and then wait 12-24 hours for the 'blown' up
effect. I've had 100% success with these so far. As well, the good news is
that if it doesn't blow up properly I can take it back to the homebrew store
for an exchange.

Btw, I as well had 100% success with the liquid yeasts that came in the vials.

For those new to brewing, dry yeasts work just fine but you have to be more
careful with them. You have to keep them from getting something else growing
in them by keeping them well sealed and be certain to rehydrate them with warm
water for best success. These are particularly good for those starting out
though since you can divide the yeast into smaller portions in order to not do
a full 5 or 10 gallon batch.

To some brewing is a science. To some brewing is an art. To many brewing is
black magic in which miracles occur. If you are careful and clean it can
result in wondrous (and drinkable) beverages whether you follow the exact
directions or suggestions of others or not. Trial and error is the best
teacher.

Ciao,
Pug